In a message to residents, Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner, whose city has a large Jewish and Israeli population, called the film " a false one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people that is not consistent with the values of our city and residents.”
'No Other Land'
The documentary, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, depicts the demolition of Palestinian villages in the southernWest Bankby the IDF.
Since its win, the film has faced criticism from both pro-Israel figures — including Culture Minister Miki Zohar, who called it "sabotage" of Israel's image — and pro-Palestinian voices who argued that the filmmakers, Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor, failed to "acknowledge that Israel was committing genocide."
Meiner pressured O Cinema to cancel the screenings, and while the theater initially announced its cancellation, it later reversed course and proceeded with showings as scheduled.
In response, Meiner said he would introduce legislation to terminate the theater's lease — since it operates in a city-owned building — and withdraw the remaining municipal funding. The city commission is set to discuss the proposal next week.
2 View gallery
יוצרי "אין ארץ אחרת" עם פרס האוסקריוצרי "אין ארץ אחרת" עם פרס האוסקר
The movie's producers at the Oscars
(Photo: REUTERS/Daniel Cole)
The move drew criticism from various groups, including the Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which called it an attack on free speech and censorship. “The government does not get to pick and choose which viewpoints the public is allowed to hear, however controversial some might find them,” Daniel Tilley, the organization's legal director, said.
City Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez also voiced concerns. While she agreed with Meiner's stance on the film, she warned of costly legal consequences. "The city could find itself facing costly legal battles," she wrote in a newsletter to residents.
Gonzalez suggested that instead of revoking O Cinema’s lease, the city should also screen films presenting a different perspective, such as “Screams Before Silence”, a documentary by filmmaker Anat Stilinsky and produced by Sheryl Sandberg, which tells the story of Israeli women sexually assaulted by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.
Meiner’s position, however, has strong support among some community leaders. City Commissioner David Suarez declared, "Unlike other cities, we have zero tolerance for pro-Hamas or anti-Israel propaganda. Miami Beach is home to many Holocaust survivors and we stand firm — never again."